The Saxons were part of the waves of Germanic peoples who settled in Britain after the Romans withdrew in the early 5th century. They built small timber villages, farmed the land, and shaped many of the customs and place‑names that still exist today. What fascinates me most is how ordinary their lives were — simple…
Author: Mandy
Mandy's Recovery Journey is a real, ongoing story of healing from addiction and mental health struggles to a life of empowerment, self-respect, and freedom from cravings. This space is for honesty, hope, and the reminder that recovery isn’t about being perfect – it’s about not giving up on yourself, or your family.
Bonk by Jill Brame
I trudged back through the chortens, in the with the horse bells the rancid yack butter Just content not to be in the Abyss nor the Tiger, for that matter, Meanwhile the mouse at the strawberries. The poem wasn’t mine. It came to me through a lady who was preparing to move house and had…
A Moment from Anthony Hopkins’ Early Career
One day, when I was living in Te Atatu South, a lady came to my house with a box of things that had belonged to her father. She was generous and fascinating, the kind of person who carries stories with her. Inside the box was this photograph, along with many others. Her father had…
First Memories
I must have been about a year old, though at that age time isn’t something you understand — it’s just something that happens around you. What I remember most clearly is the pram. It was blue, and in my memory it feels enormous, like a little boat I sat in while the world drifted past….
Artist In Recovery
Every day here in residential care is different. Some days are quiet, some days are restless, and some days surprise me. What stays constant is the slow return of my creative self — the part of me that notices things, documents things, and turns them into something meaningful. I’ve got a cold at the moment…